So Kennedy has a pretty lackluster season following his big breakout year and then bolts for BCS pastures. I'm not knocking him for it, its a lot more money; but it seems like it would have been more likely to happen after a 31 win season and an NCAA tournament win than after a disappointing 23 win and NIT loss season.

Anyway he's gone and now Murray, one of the winning programs in the history of NCAA basketball, is looking for a new coach.

I'm adamantly in support of Ray Harper, a local guy from Greenville, sitting on the bench at WKU right now. Harper is one of the winningest coaches in all of NCAA history regardless of division. He also shattered NAIA records.

GR8NESS

05-18-2011, 07:24 PM

Harper will be WKU's next coach when they run off McDonald after this season, I've heard.

boxvic

05-18-2011, 08:04 PM

I'd prefer to get him first.

There is a large subset of Murray fans slinging all kinds of mud in his direction though. They want Kennedy's assistant Steve Prohm hired... which makes less sense than UK hiring Joker Phillips to me.

GR8NESS

05-18-2011, 08:11 PM

I'd prefer to get him first.

Well, yeah...but as far as in-state small schools go, I pull for Western, Eastern, Morehead, and then Murray...LOL

boxvic

05-18-2011, 10:39 PM

My list is literally in the opposite order.

GR8NESS

05-23-2011, 01:02 AM

Honestly, for where I'm from Murray may as well not be in KY...as far as students going there. My HS hasn't sent more than one kid to Murray in about 10 years. I'd say we send more kids (that actually last at college, not that dropout) to UK, then WKU, then EKU, then Morehead, then Lindsey Wilson, then UofL, then NKU, then Campbellsville...all before Murray. Hell, I don't even think they bothered to send an admissions counselor to us.

boxvic

05-23-2011, 02:32 AM

Its all a matter of geography I guess. Here, outside of the kids from more wealthy families, WKU and Murray were the two top schools.

I don't really know why I like Morehead so much, but I did consider going there for awhile.

I guess EKU just gets the third spot because they aren't in Bowling Green.

kentubbybasketball

05-24-2011, 10:07 PM

Box, as you know. I liked Kennedy at Murray. Altho they missed the NCAAT due to the Tennessee Tech loss in the OVC I think he further substantiated his position as a good coach with another championship year and 23 wins is nothing to scoff. He got the job because Buzz Williams and Josh Pastner said no. Considdering the options and othee coaches like Smart, Mooney, and Stevens that turned down jobs this year, I think Kennedy was a nice second tier candidate.

I'm happy with Prohm. He's been with Kennedy for 12 of 13 years. It should be a smooth transition.

boxvic

05-24-2011, 11:02 PM

A smooth transition doesn't always translate into success.

He has no head coaching experience, and some of the best assistant coaches make the worst head coaches. I just do not think this was a good hire at all. It is a gamble on him being a great head coach for the ease of him already being familiar with the program.

kentubbybasketball

05-25-2011, 12:48 AM

Perhaps but arguably the best coach in the world had a similar transition at another MSU after Jud Heathcoate. There is no guarantee that hiring anybody is a surefire success. What's Harper's experience on this level. Murray knows it's gonna have to get assistants and why not get one that recruited your team and had a major success in some of your most successful years ever?

boxvic

05-25-2011, 12:51 AM

Harper's experience as a head coach is championships on every level he has coached at.

Prohm recruited some of Murray's best classes... but was only here for one of its best on the court years ever. The years prior to last year were bad, last year was great, and this year was "meh".

I just don't like the fact that rumor is Prohm was the only guy interviewed.

kentubbybasketball

05-25-2011, 12:57 PM

But, I don't think you can fault one guys "experience" when he's been D-1 his entire career and another guy hasn't been, whether he's won championships on a NAIA or D-2 level or not. Maybe he hasn't called the timeouts, but he has been on the bench for five very good or great years at Murray. Sure Murray's first three seasons under Kennedy/Prohm weren't at a MSU standard of Scott Edgar or Mark Gottfried, but they weren't "bad" as you suggest. Look at their record.

I have no issue with Allen Ward interviewing one candidate if he feels he got the best fit. I trust his judgement in this one. Whether it's been Edgar, Gottfried, Anderson, Cronin, or Kennedy... Murray has been hiring coaches well since I've been alive.